1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to archery equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bow-mounted device for protecting the bow arm of the archer from injurious contact with a bow string.
2. Description of the Related Art
In archery, the string of the bow has three positions:
(1) Quiescent, i.e. when the string is operably attached to the bow and no pull is exerted by the archer;
(2) Drawn, i.e. when the string is pulled to flex the bow preparatory to shooting an arrow; and
(3) Kinetic, i.e. when the string is moving forward to launch the arrow.
When an archer draws the bow string and then releases it, the kinetic string will travel from the drawn position to just forward of the quiescent position and then return to the quiescent position. The kinetic string will have a travel path generally defining a plane through the longitudinal midline of the bow.
Due to the body positioning of the archer when engaging in archery activities, i.e., the archer's shooting form; when an archer fully draws the bow string and releases it, the kinetic string may contact the archer's chest or bow arm, i.e., the arm holding the bow, giving pain and injury to the archer.
In the recurve, or long bow the body area susceptible to string contact is that portion of the bow arm from the protruding elbow joint down to the wrist area, since the quiescent string of the long bow normally is a short distance from the bow, placing the quiescent string in the wrist area of the bow arm when the bow is held in shooting form.
However, the long bow has now been suplanted in popularity of use by the compound bow. The force required to bring the bow string to a drawn position and the force the kinetic bow string will apply to the arrow when released, i.e., the draw weight of the bow, has become commonly higher with the advent of the compound bow. As has always been known to the archer, bad bow arm positioning, or a bad release of the draw string, or both, may cause the bow string to contact the archer's bow arm resulting in pain and injury to the archer. With the higher bow string forces produced by the now ubiquitous compound bow, such bow string contact represents a potential for serious injury to a great many archers. Especially susceptable to kinetic bow string contact from the compound bow is that portion of the bow arm around the elbow, since the quiescent bow string of a compound is located well away from the bow, placing the quiescent string at the upper forearm when the bow is held in the shooting form.
Thus, there exists a need for a device attachable to standard compound bows or long bows which will protect the archer's bow arm, or remove the archer's clothing from the path of the kinetic string so as not to cause injury to the archer or spoil his shooting of the arrow. Such a need particularly exists in the increasingly popular sport of bow hunting where the archer may be far removed from medical attention and a shot at the archer's quarry may be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The art which has evolved to data has not fully addressed this issue.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,468 to Crest, discloses a bow `arm guard` and positioner device mountable to a long bow handle. A bendable rod is disclosed as extending in three planes to place a vertical portion of the rod lateral to the midline of the bow. This vertical portion contacts the medial surface of the archer's bow arm at a point between the wrist and elbow, generally just beyond the quiescent string of the long bow as held by the archer. The device is not a physical barrier to bow string contact with the upper forearm, but instead is a bow arm indexing means primarily for target shooting which relies on positioning the archer's arm lateral to the path of the kinetic bow string to thereby function as a "guard".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,177 to Williams discloses an archery bow wrist brace attachable to a bow handle. The wrist brace has a generally U-shaped rigid frame extending rearwardly from the bow with a transverse arm brace connecting the legs of the rigid frame. The brace engages the lower forearm of the archer's bow arm and provides a steadying means surrounding the bow arm proximal to the archer's wrist. This wrist brace may provide some protection against a bow string striking the archer's wrist or lower forearm but does not protect the upper forearm.
The known devices provide no physical barrier to the string striking that most vulnerable upper forearm and elbow region of the bow arm, especially when the archer is using a compound bow. Further, neither of the devices removes bulky clothing such as hunting overalls, from the kinetic string path, to insure that the shot is not fouled by string contact with that clothing.